awscdk-rootmail

A single email box for all your root user emails in all AWS accounts of the organization.

• The cdk implementation and adaption of the superwerker rootmail feature.
• See here for a detailed Architectural Decision Record (ADR)

TL;DR ⚡

Each AWS account needs one unique email address (the so-called "AWS account root user email address").

Access to these email addresses must be adequately secured since they provide privileged access to AWS accounts, such as account deletion procedures.

This is why you only need 1 mailing list for the AWS Management (formerly root) account, we recommend the following pattern aws-roots+<uuid>@mycompany.test

Note

Maximum 64 characters are allowed for the whole address.

And as you own the domain mycompany.test you can add a subdomain, e.g. aws, for which all EMails will then be received with this solution within this particular AWS Management account.

Feel free to take a look at the design

Usage ✨

Install the dependencies:

brew install aws-cli node@18 esbuild

You can chose via embedding the construct in your cdk-app or use is directly via Cloudformation.

cdk 🤖

1. To start a new project we recommend using projen.
   1. Create a new projen project

   npx projen new awscdk-app-ts

   2. Add @mavogel/awscdk-rootmail as a dependency to your project in the .projenrc.ts file
   3. Run yarn run projen to install it
2. In you main.ts file add the following code

import { Rootmail } from '@mavogel/awscdk-rootmail';
import {
  App,
  Stack,
  StackProps,
  aws_route53 as r53,
} from 'aws-cdk-lib';
import { Construct } from 'constructs';

export class MyStack extends Stack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props: StackProps = {}) {
    super(scope, id, props);

    const domain = 'mycompany.com' // registered via Route53 in the SAME account

    const hostedZone = r53.HostedZone.fromLookup(this, 'rootmail-parent-hosted-zone', {
      domainName: domain,
    });

    new Rootmail(this, 'rootmail', {
      // 1. a domain you own, registered via Route53 in the SAME account
      domain: domain,
      // 2. so the subdomain will be aws.mycompany.test and
      subdomain: 'aws',
      // 3. wired / delegated automatically to
      wireDNSToHostedZoneID: hostedZone.hostedZoneId,
    });
  }
}

2. run on your commandline

yarn run deploy

1. No need to do anything, the NS records are automatically propagated as the parent Hosted Zone is in the same account!
2. The hosted-zone-dkim-propagation-provider.is-complete-handler Lambda function checks every 10 seconds if the DNS for the subdomain is propagated. Details are in the Cloudwatch log group.

Tip

Take a look at the solution design here for more details.

cdk with your own receiver function 🏗️

You might also want to pass in you own function on what to do when an EMail is received

Tip

You can add any custom code as receiver function you want.

... click here for the details

file functions/custom-ses-receive-function.ts which gets the 2 environment variables populated

• EMAIL_BUCKET
• EMAIL_BUCKET_ARN

as well as s3:GetObject on the RootMail/* objects in the created Rootmail S3 bucket.

import { S3 } from '@aws-sdk/client-s3';
import { ParsedMail, simpleParser } from 'mailparser';
// populated by default
const emailBucket = process.env.EMAIL_BUCKET;
const emailBucketArn = process.env.EMAIL_BUCKET_ARN;
const s3 = new S3();

// SESEventRecordsToLambda
// from https://docs.aws.amazon.com/ses/latest/dg/receiving-email-action-lambda-event.html
export const handler = async (event: SESEventRecordsToLambda) => {
    for (const record of event.Records) {
        
        const id = record.ses.mail.messageId;
        const key = `RootMail/${id}`;
        const response = await s3.getObject({ Bucket: emailBucket as string, Key: key });
        
        const msg: ParsedMail = await simpleParser(response.Body as unknown as Buffer);
        
        let title = msg.subject;
        console.log(`Title: ${title} from emailBucketArn: ${emailBucketArn}`);
        // use the content of the email body 
        const body = msg.html;
        // add your custom code here ...

        // dummy example: list s3 buckets
        const buckets = await s3.listBuckets({});
        if (!buckets.Buckets) {
            console.log('No buckets found');
            return;
        }
        console.log('Buckets:');
        for (const bucket of buckets.Buckets || []) {
            console.log(bucket.Name);
        }
    }

};

and you create a separate NodejsFunction as follows with the additionally needed IAM permissions:

const customSesReceiveFunction = new NodejsFunction(stackUnderTest, 'custom-ses-receive-function', {
  functionName: PhysicalName.GENERATE_IF_NEEDED,
  entry: path.join(__dirname, 'functions', 'custom-ses-receive-function.ts'),
  runtime: lambda.Runtime.NODEJS_18_X,
  logRetention: 1,
  timeout: Duration.seconds(30),
});

// Note: any additional permissions you need to add to the function yourself!
customSesReceiveFunction.addToRolePolicy(new iam.PolicyStatement({
  actions: [
    's3:List*',
  ],
  resources: ['*'],
}))

and then pass it into the Rootmail Stack

export class MyStack extends Stack {
  constructor(scope: Construct, id: string, props: StackProps = {}) {
    super(scope, id, props);

    const domain = 'mycompany.test'
    const hostedZone = r53.HostedZone.fromLookup(this, 'rootmail-parent-hosted-zone', {
      domainName: domain,
    });

    const rootmail = new Rootmail(this, 'rootmail-stack', {
      domain: domain;
      autowireDNSParentHostedZoneID: hostedZone.hostedZoneId,
      env: {
        region: 'eu-west-1',
      },
      customSesReceiveFunction: customSesReceiveFunction, // <- pass it in here
    }); 
  }
}

[!TIP] Take a look at the solution design for external DNS here for more details.

Cloudformation 📦

or use it directly a Cloudformation template yaml from the URL here.

... click here for the details

and fill out the parameters

Known issues

• jsii/2071: so adding compilerOptions."esModuleInterop": true, in tsconfig.json is not possible. See aws-cdk usage withtypescript. So we needed to change import from import AWS from 'aws-sdk'; -> import * as AWS from 'aws-sdk'; to be able to compile.

Related projects / questions

• aws-account-factory-email: a similar approach with SES, however you need to manually configure it upfront and also it about delivering root mails for a specific account to a specific mailing list and mainly decouples the real email address from the one of the AWS account. The main difference is that we do not hide or decouple the email address, but more make those as unique and unguessable/bruteforable as possible (with uuids).
• The question Is it best practise to use a shared mailbox as AWS root user address? from stackoverflow: yes of course you can also use root+alias-1@mycompany.com and root+alias-2@mycompany.com etc. for your root EMail boxes.

🚀 Unlock the Full Potential of Your AWS Cloud Infrastructure

Hi, I’m Manuel, an AWS expert passionate about empowering businesses with scalable, resilient, and cost-optimized cloud solutions. With MV Consulting, I specialize in crafting tailored AWS architectures and DevOps-driven workflows that not only meet your current needs but grow with you.

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I know that choosing the right partner is critical to your success. When you work with me, you’re not just contracting an engineer – you’re gaining a trusted advisor and hands-on expert who cares about your business as much as you do.

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Author

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